Older Adults’ Perceptions of the Technology Influence on Interpersonal Communication: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the association between the online experience of older adults, their socio-demographic background, and their perceptions regarding the influence of the new technologies on their interpersonal communication. Technology familiarity and grey digital divide approaches served as the study’s theoretical framework. The data were obtained from the 2020 Israel Social Survey and analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. The sample included adults aged 60 years and older ( N = 1,607). The findings show that online group participation and general Internet use, though to a varying extent, corresponded to more positive perceptions of influence of the new technologies on both family and peer communication. Female gender, tertiary education, and belonging to ethnic majority group were associated with more positive perceptions in the studied context. The results imply that online experience of older adults is more dominant than their background with respect to perceptions regarding the influence of new technologies on interpersonal communication. The findings imply that older adults should engage in various activities on the Internet, especially in the online group participation, in order to have better perceptions regarding the new technology influence on interpersonal communication.